Judging the Upfronts By Their Cover: Fox

Every spring, each major television network announces its primetime schedule for the next fall. Many new shows will premiere, but few will make it past November. Here at Celebuzz, we know your time is valuable so we’re picking which of these new shows is worth your time, completely site unseen.

Almost Human

What’s it about?: Set in the future, the show revolves around two sort of-robot, sort of-human police officers (get it? Almost Human?) who are paired together to fight crime and investigate a mysterious cover-up.

Who’s involved?: The show is executive produced by J.J. Abrams and was created by J.H. Wyman of Fringe. The officers involved are played by Karl Urban (Star Trek) and Michael Ealy (Common Law). Lili Taylor of Six Feet Under also stars.

When will it air?: Monday at 8:00 EST, starting in late fall

The Verdict: Introducing another cop show is hardly an exciting choice by Fox, but J.J. Abrams’ involvement could give this thing wings. Holding the future of both the Star Trek and Star Wars franchises in his hands, Abrams is practically a nerd god at this point. It will surely garner enough fans to keep it on the air. Give it an episode or two, but don’t expect anything more than another crime procedural.

Sleepy Hollow

What’s it about?: One part National Treasure and two parts in bad taste, this show is a modern retelling of Sleepy Hollow in which Ichabod Crane finds himself resurrected in the present and teaming up with a police officer to solve a mystery dating back to the 18th century in order to save the world.

Who’s involved?: The show is co-created by Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci (the Fringe creators who aren’t J.J. Abrams). It stars Tom Mison (One Day) as Ichabod and Nicole Beharie (42) as his partner in world-saving and sexual tension. Washington Irving’s rolling corpse is not involved.

When will it air?: Monday at 9:00 EST

The Verdict: No.

Dads

What’s it about?: Two thirtysomething video gaming entrepreneurs’ lives are flipped upside down when their dads move in with them. Wackiness ensues.

Who’s involved?: From the men who brought you Ted (yes that includes Seth MacFarlane). The two sons are played by Seth Green and Giovanni Ribisi (My Name is Earl) and their fathers are played by Peter Riegert (The Good Wife) and Martin Mull (Two and a Half Men). Throw in Vanessa Minnillo Lachey as a trophy wife and, boom, you’ve got yourself a TV show.

When will it air?: Tuesday at 8:00 EST

The Verdict: While 100 percent of Seth MacFarlane fans will enjoy this show, no one else will. Seek out the nearest alley where high schoolers smoke weed to find someone to talk to about it.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine

What’s it about?: An ensemble comedy about Brooklyn’s fictional 99th precinct. This show will do everything it can to be “the new Office.”

Who’s involved?: This promising cast is helmed by Andy Samberg but also includes Andre Braugher (Homicide: Life on the Street; Law and Order: SVU), Melissa Fumero (Gossip Girl), Terry Crews (Are We There Yet?), Joe Lo Truglio (Superbad), Stephanie Beatriz (Modern Family) and Chelsea Peretti (previously a writer for Parks and Recreation and a rising star in the stand-up world).

When will it air?: Tuesday at 8:30 EST

The Verdict: Fox is clearly confident, adding it to its Tuesday night comedy block with The New Girl and The Mindy Project. Definitely put this one in your DVR, it’s an early frontrunner for 2013’s breakout TV show.

Rake

What’s it about?:Greg Kinnear is a brilliant defense attorney who’s great at work and even better at partying. It’s based on an Australian show of the same name.

Who’s involved?: For American audiences, Kinnear is just about the only draw.

When will it air?: Thursday at 9:00 EST, starting midseason after Glee goes on hiatus

The Verdict: Kinnear is nearly always funny, but there’s just something about a show about a womanizing attorney that fails to feel fresh or new. But do with you want with your Thursday, we’ve all been lost since 30 Rock left us.

The Verdict: This show sounds like it could have a lot of heart. And while airing it on Friday is usually a bad sign, airing after Bones and Raising Hope could be a big lead-in for Enlisted. We’ll give it a try, if for nothing more than the men in uniform.

Other shows that have been picked up, but not yet placed on the fall schedule are Gang Related (cop show), Surviving Jack (Chris Meloni), Us & Them (Alexis Bledel and Jason Ritter are in love) and Murder Police (animated cop show).

Robert, at LEAST get the descriptions right… Almost Human is about a human police officer paired with a human looking android. If you don’t bother getting your facts for the first show you critique, why should we bother to think you did for the rest???

Robert Kessler

Robert: I’ll quote the official Facebook page for “Almost Human.” “An unlikely partnership is forged when a part-machine cop (Urban) is forced to pair with a part-human robot (Ealy) as they fight crime and investigate a deeper cover-up in a futuristic new world.” Sounds like neither is completely human to me, no?